Polymers for EOR Application in High Temperature and High Viscosity Oils: Rock–Fluid Behavior

Rubén H. Castro, Sebastián Llanos, Jenny Rodríguez, Henderson I. Quintero and Eduardo Manrique
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Rubén H. Castro: Ecopetrol S.A.—Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo (ICP), Vía Piedecuesta Km.7, Piedecuesta 681012, Colombia
Sebastián Llanos: Escuela de Ingeniería de Petróleos—Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Carrera 27 Calle 9, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia
Jenny Rodríguez: Escuela de Ingeniería de Petróleos—Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Carrera 27 Calle 9, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia
Henderson I. Quintero: Ecopetrol S.A.—Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo (ICP), Vía Piedecuesta Km.7, Piedecuesta 681012, Colombia
Eduardo Manrique: Ecopetrol S.A.—Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo (ICP), Vía Piedecuesta Km.7, Piedecuesta 681012, Colombia

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: Viscosity losses and high degradation factors have a drastic impact over hydrolyzed polyacrylamides (HPAM) currently injected, impacting the oil recovery negatively. Previous studies have demonstrated that biopolymers are promising candidates in EOR applications due to high thermochemical stability in harsh environments. However, the dynamic behavior of a biopolymer as scleroglucan through sandstone under specific conditions for a heavy oil field with low salinity and high temperature has not yet been reported. This work presents the rock–fluid evaluation of the scleroglucan (SG at 935 mgL −1 ) and sulfonated polyacrylamide (ATBS at 2500 mgL −1 ) to enhance oil recovery in high-temperature for heavy oils (212 °F and total dissolved solid of 3800 mgL −1 ) in synthetic (0.5 Darcy) and representative rock samples (from 2 to 5 Darcy) for a study case of a Colombian heavy oilfield. Dynamic evaluation at reservoir conditions presents a scenario with stable injectivity after 53.6 PV with a minimal pressure differential (less than 20 psi), inaccessible porous volume (IPV) of 18%, dynamic adsorption of 49 µg/g, and resistance and residual resistance factors of 6.17 and 2.84, respectively. In addition, higher oil displacement efficiency (up to 10%) was obtained with lower concentration (2.7 times) compared to a sulfonated polyacrylamide polymer.

Keywords: enhanced oil recovery (EOR); scleroglucan (SG); sulfonated polyacrylamide (ATBS); RF; RRF; oil displacement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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